# UK parliament to require criminal checks for MPs

> Parliament will become the first legislature to gain White Ribbon accreditation, introducing criminal record checks and anti-harassment training to tackle violence against women.
- Title: UK parliament to require criminal checks for MPs | Shortify
- Summary: Parliament will become the first legislature to gain White Ribbon accreditation, introducing criminal record checks and anti-harassment training to tackle…
- Keywords: uk parliament, white ribbon accreditation, criminal record checks, violence against women, emily darlington, anti-harassment training, news, world, parliament, require, criminal, checks
- Source: the Guardian — https://theguardian.com/society/2026/nov/03/uk-mps-criminal-record-checks-violence-against-women
- Published: 2026-11-03T07:00:40+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: uk parliament, white ribbon accreditation, criminal record checks, violence against women, emily darlington, anti-harassment training, news, world
## Parliament tackles harassment culture
UK parliament is regularly described as riven by sexism and harassment, with a male-dominated environment compounded by strict hierarchies and minimal HR assistance for those working directly for MPs and peers.
## Survey reveals scale of problem
A two thousand eighteen survey found nearly twenty percent of parliament had experienced or witnessed sexual harassment. A later two thousand twenty-three study found more than two-thirds of female MPs had witnessed sexist behaviour.
## White Ribbon accreditation arrives
UK parliament will on Tuesday become the first legislature in the world to receive White Ribbon accreditation, a commitment to culture change which originated in Canada to combat violence against women.
## Three-year plan for change
A three-year plan approved by White Ribbon will introduce bystander training to teach people how to spot and respond to harassment, and establish high behaviour standards for MPs and peers.
## Criminal checks for new MPs
Political parties might be asked to sign an agreement requiring new MPs to undergo a criminal record check before receiving a security pass to work in parliament.
## Cross-party support for reform
Emily Darlington, Labour MP for Milton Keynes Central, led the campaign with support from Commons speaker Lindsay Hoyle. Conservative and Liberal Democrat MPs called the plan hugely positive and a critical endeavour.

> This place was a boys' club for three hundred years, and the comparatively recent presence of women has yet to be fully adapted to.
## Key takeaway

UK parliament will become the first legislature worldwide to receive White Ribbon accreditation, requiring criminal record checks for MPs and introducing anti-harassment training to combat violence against women.